The Difference Between Motivation & Discipline

We watch motivational videos, listen to inspirational speeches, read books, all to give us that massive adrenaline rush to accomplish things. Sometimes that adrenaline can last a day, a week, or even year. To work on adrenaline is to work with passion. This may seem great, but there is one major flaw, adrenaline eventually fades. Motivation is only temporary.

Motivation:

Motivation may be the single greatest cause of inactivity & procrastination among society. This is because motivation pushes you to work only when you feel like it. As a result, many people put off work until they find the next motivational rush that comes their way. This inconsistency in itself destroys motivation and pushes individuals further down the rabbit hole.

Discipline:

What separates the successful from the unsuccessful is not a matter of consistent motivation, but rather a matter of sustained discipline for a long period of time. Discipline separates behaviors and feelings, making them inconsequential to whatever task is at hand. Those who society view as successful are not always filled with adrenaline, but rather they are sticking to a long term plan, day after day, regardless of how they feel.

How to Ignore Motivation and Focus on Discipline

The answer is to create good habits. At the end of the day, we are only creatures of habit who mainly work on autopilot. This starts with manually creating a routine that you will stick to day in and day out. Here is exactly how to do that:

Step 1: Decide on something relatively small that you want to accomplish

Step 2: Create a daily routine to accomplish that goal.

Step 3: Reward yourself every time you complete the desired task

Step 4: Repeat until the goal is reached.

Step 5: Decide on another goal slightly larger that you would like to accomplish and repeat from Step 1.

It is crucial to understand that the human brain is resistant to massive change. However, the brain can handle small changes over an extended period of time. This incremental system compounds over time and is ultimately far more effective than making massive overnight changes. Remember, you can’t change destination overnight, but you can change your direction with small and calculated steps.

“We Are What We Repeatedly Do”- Aristotle

A Lesson From The King of Discipline

World famous basketball player Larry Bird is the epitome of discipline. To this day, there are few athletes who have embodied the work ethic of Larry. Larry’s natural abilities were actually seen as below average for the professional basketball level. What brought him to stardom was his discipline. As a child, Larry would take 500 free throws every day before school. This along with many of his other consistent habits brought him much further than those who were more “naturally gifted than him”